Automatic photo-machine.



No. 781,377. PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905.

A. J. SPRINGER. AUTOMATIC PHOTO MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' c%% zL LVVWZZK No. 781,377. PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905. A. J. SPRINGER.

AUTOMATIC PHOTO MACHINE.-

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

NO. 781,377. Patented January 31, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

AARON JOHN SPRINGER, OF HAMILTON, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD TO HENRY EDIVARD RALSTON AND ERNEST REGINALD CLARK- SON, OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC PHOTO-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,377, dated January 31, 1905.

Application filed August 2 L, 1904. Serial No. 221.967.

T 1077/0771 it Z/ COW/087%! ately below the stationary circular plate of the Be it known that I, AARON J OI-IN SPRINGER, magazines. Fig. 5 is a plan of the dry-plate 5 a citizen of Canada, and a resident of Hamilmagazines on their rotary plate and on the ton, in the county of \Ventworth and Provstationary plate. Fig. 6 is a plan of the coil 5 ince of Ontario, Canada, have invented new machine-operatingspringinits stationarycasand useful Improvements in AutomatiePhotoing. Fig. 7 is an elevation of one of the dry- Machines, of which the following is a speciplate conveyers. 55 fication. Similar characters refer to similar parts My invention relates to improvementsin authroughout the several views. 10 tomatic photo-machines in which certain au- In the drawings the frame or casing of the tomatic mechanism is so arranged and devised machine is indicated by A and is constructed that a number of photos may be produced in of wood, with lower horizontal stationary 6O rapid succession and consecutively deposited plate B. Above the plate B are the stationin a convenient receptacle. ary plates C and D, which are rigidly sup- 5 The objects of my invention are, first, to ported by standards Ein convenient places on provide a photo-machine charged with a numsaid plates, thereby connecting the plates B, her of light-sensitive photo dry plates or disks C, and D, together with the frame A, that 6 5 of suitable material and of small size, each said the whole may be rigid. The rear vertical plate to bear a photo and adapted to feed said standard F extends from the lower plate B plates one at a time and in succession to the to the stationary magazine plate H and focal point of a lens and to consecutively 0011- through and is secured thereto. On the vey said dry-plates to certain baths and then plate H is the rotary magazine plate J, deposit them consecutively toareceiver; secwhich is adapted to rotate loosely on said end, to provide a photo-machine which is caplate H and on the reduced upper extending 5 pable of producing the photo of the person end K of the standard F.

operating the machine, and, third, to afford M represents the photographicdry-plate facilities for the production of a number of holders or magazines on the rotary plate J, and photos in a short period of time. I attain the bore of the magazines extends through the these objects by the mechanism illustrated in plate J, each said bore having access to the 3 the. accompanying drawings, in which plate H, which has a through-opening oppo- Figure 1 is an elevation of the automatic site to the left-hand magazine and over the photo-machine, showing most of the operatdry-plate duct N, which is rigidly secured to ing mechanism and the front of the lens, the the standard F by means of the arm P of the front chemical or bath vessels being removed bracket-bearing R. The bearing R extends 35 in order to show more fully the operating from an upper part of the standard F to the mechanism in rear of said chemical vessel, all stationary plate I) and is secured to said plate. the several parts being in normal position and S is the mainhorizontal shaft in bearii'igs 2 8 5 the machine in condition for winding. Fig. and 3 and is rotated by means of the crank- 2 is a plan of the machine, the magazines or handle T on said shaft and on the outer side 4 photographic-dry-plate holders with their staof the frame A. A bevel-wheel U is secured tionary circular plate being removed to show to the shaft S and revolves the pinion-wheel the under mechanism of the machine. Fig. V, together with its vertical shaft A, which 9 3 is a detail elevation of the magazine horiextends from the wheel V to and through the zontal plates, the supporting-standard, and stationary plate D and flush with the top of 45 the dry-plate duct, with the lever for retainsaid plate. The wheel V and the lower part ing and releasing the dry-plate. Fig. A is a of the claw-coupling 5 are secured to the shaft detail plan of mechanism for releasing the 4. The ratchet-wheel 6 is also secured to the dry-plates from the magazines and immedishaft I, and the dog 7 is pivoted on the spur- At the rotation of the crank T the crank 13,

wheel 8, which rotates loosely on said shaft 4. The dog 7 allows the ratchet-wheel 6 to rotate when the shaft 4 is being wound.

9 is a stationary casing secured to the plate D by a strap 10. A coil-spring 12 is incased in the casing 9. One end of the spring is secured to the casing, and the opposite end of the spring is secured to the through-shaft 4 in the usual manner. Immediately the spring 12 is wound up to tension by means of the crank T the machine is in operative condition.

secured on the shaft 4, is rotated. Consequently the higher crank 14, journaled to the frame A, is operated by means of the connecting-rod 15, which connects the two said cranks together. The crank 14 has an arm 16, which is connected to the arm 17 by means of the rod 18, which is pivotally connected at both ends to said arms. The arm-17 is secured to or forms a part of the end of the crank 19. The crank 19 rotates loosely on the rear standard F. A s1n'ing-dog2O is secured to the upper part of the arm 17 and operates with said arm, together with the crank 19. The crank 19 is provided with a pivotally-connected arm 21 with slot 22. (Shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.) The upper part of the dry-plate duct N has a slide 23, connected to an arm 24. The opposite end of the arm 24 is pivotally connected or fulcrumed to the under side of the stationary plate H. The arm 24 has a branch arm 25, with vertical pin 26. Said pin operates in the slot 22 of the arm 21, whereby the slide 23 is partially withdrawn to allow the photographic dry-plate 27 to drop and be seen in the opening 28 in the front of the duct N. The dry-plate 27 is held in the opening 28 by the upper end 29 of the bent lever 30, which is fulcrumed at 31 on the bracket R. The bracket R supports the lens 32 by means of the secured arm 33, and the lens-shutter 34, with opening 35, is pivotally connected to an arm 36. the lower end of which is pivotally connected to a lever 37, which is fulcrumed at 38 to the bracket R.

39 is a disk on the plate D and is adapted to rotate on its stationary central shaft 40. The disk 39 has a notch 41, in which the bent end of the lever 42 enters and retains said disk. The lever 42 is fulcrumed at 43 on the plate 1), and the opposite end of the lever is held by a spring 44, which holds the opposite end of said lever in engagment with the notch 41 of the disk 39. The spring end of the lever is adapted to receive the air-bulb 45 of the flexible air-tube 46, which passes through the frame A and connects with the hand air-bulb 47. The air-bulb 45 is between the end part of the lever 42 and the stationary plate 48 on the plate 1 49 represents six notches in the plate J to correspond with the six magazines M and in which the dog 20 engages to rotate said plate J. The lower part of the bracket R supports a l horizontal shaft 50, which has a bent arm 51, which when rotated strikes the bent lever F2 to cause the loosely-connected two-ended catch 53 to engage the ratchet-wheel 54, the teeth of which oscillates the catch 53, and hence the lever 55, which strikes the bell 56. The catch 53 oscillates on its center 57 in the slot of the catch. The shaft 50 has an arm 58, and the disk has a trip 59 to engage said arm. The shaft 50 has also a bent arm 60, which extends underneath the lever 37, which operates the sight of the lens previously referred to. The disk 39 has also a trip 61 to operate the lever 30, which retains and frees the dryplate 27 when in the opening 28 of the duct N.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings is shown four bath vessels 62 for holdingchemicals adapted to the development of dry-plates for photo production and certain drvplate conveyors 63, suspended a certain distance in said vessels. The forward part of the eonveyers 63 is sufliciently wide to allow the dry-1 )late to drop out by gravity, and the rear part of the conveyer is flared or widened out as a guide to receive the dry-plate from the duct N. The bottom of the conveyer is of suitable incline and holds the dry-plate on its bottom and against the front side of the vessel 62. The vessels 62 are stationary on the plate B and at equal distance from the center of the disk 39. The dry-plate is seen in the bottom of the conveyer in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The upper part of the conveyers 63 are secured to horizontal bars 64, and the bars 64 are secured to vertical slidable rods 65, which slide through the plates C and D when the convoyers are lifted.

66 represents bearings secured on and rigid with the plate D. Rotary bars 67 pass through the bearings 66. The inner crank ends 68 of said bars are bent downward, and the outer crank ends 69 are also bent downward and pivotally connected to the outer vertical rod by means of pivotally-connected connecting-rods 7 0.

hen the machine is wound, as referred to, and in operation, the previously-mentioned ratchet-wheel 6 revolves the spur-wheel 8 by means of the dog 7. The spur-wheel 8 runs loosely on the shaft 4 and revolves the pinionwheel 71, which is secured on the vertical shaft 72, which in consequence revolves the upper spur-wheel 73, which is secured to said shaft. The spur-wheel '73 revolves the pinion-wheel 74, secured on the vertical shaft 75, consequently revolving the spur-wheel 7 6, se' cured on the lower end of said shaft. On the upper end of the shaft 72 is secured the ratchet-w heel 54, previously referred to. The wheel 76 gears into and revolves the pinionwheel 77, which is secured on the lower end part of the vertical shaft 78. The upper end thereof extends through the plate 1) and revolves the governors 79, which when the balls thereof are expanded act in the capacity of a IIO fly-wheel to the machine as a regulator. The trip 80 on the disk 39 operates the first and second crank ends 68 and passes the third and fourth crank ends. The trip 81 on the disk 39 operates the third and fourth crank ends 68 and passes underneath the first and second cranks 68 referred to. It will be noticed that the trip 80 is the same distance from the center of the disk 39 as are the first and second cranks 68 and that the trip 81 is the same distance from the center of the disk 39 as are the third and fourth cranks 68. This feature allows the dry-plate to remain longer in the third and fourth baths 62 than in the first and second baths to facilitate the development of the photo on the dry-plate. The opening 82 in the duct N in Fig. 2 of the drawings represents the opening through the duct from near the top to the bottom thereof.

At the lower end of the disk-shaft 40 is secured the spur-wheel 84, which is revolved by the pinion-wheel 85, which revolves loosely, together with its claw-coupling 86, on the shaft 4.. The wheel 85, together with the coupling 86, slides slightly upward, and the claw-coupling disengages when the machine is being wound by the crank T.

The operation of the machine is as follows: At the winding of the machine by the crank T, which rotates about one-half revolution, the magazine is brought immediately over the duct N, and a dry-plate then drops in focal position in the opening 28 and on the end 29 of the lever 30. At this time the air-bulb 4:7 is compressed. Consequently the air-bulb 4:5 is inflated, thereby pressing the end of the lever 42 inward, and the opposite end of the lever is released from the disk 39, which now rotates, as indicated by arrow in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The trip 59 then engages the arm 58 and rotates the shaft 50, and the arm 51 of said shaft engages the bent lever 52 to bring the double catch in touch with the ratchetwheel 54 to cause the ringing of the bell 56 by means of the lever 55. At this time the arm 60 on the shaft 50 has brought the lever 37, together with the arm 36, upward to bring the opening 35 of the shutter 34: opposite to the lens 32 to expose the dry-plate to the lens. Immediately follows the trip 61 on the disk 39 and operates the lever 30 to bring the opposite end 29 of the lever out from below the opening 28 of the duct N to release thedryplate which was in said opening 28 and allow the dry-plate to drop into the first conveyer 63in the first bath vessel 62. The trip 80 on the disk 39 now travels to and engages the first crank 68, and consequently raises the outer crank 69 and lifts the vertical rods by means of the connecting-rod 7 O. Consequently the first conveyer 63 is lifted by means of the bar 64% on said rods 65. This last action discharges the dry-plate into the second conveyer, which is operated by the same trip 80 and 1n a similar manner. The

trip 81 then travels to and operates the third andfourth conveyers 63 in a similar manner and by similar means as the first and second conveyers. The dry-plate, with photo on the face, is deposited from the fourth conveyor into any convenicntly-located receiver. The disk 39 makes one revolution at every production of a photo. At the termination of the revolution of the disk 39 the windingerank T resumes its normal position, as shown.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic photo-machine, the combination with a lens, of a movable photographic-plate magazine, means for progressively moving said photographic-plate magazine and arresting it at intervals to bring the photographic plates successively in position for delivery to the focal plane of the lens, means controlled by said magazine-moving means whereby the plate is delivered to the focal plane of the lens, and means for developing the plate after it has been released from the focal plane of the lens.

2. In an automatic photo-machine, the combination with a lens, of a movable photographic-plate magazine, means for progressively moving said photographic-plate magazine and arresting it at intervals to bring the photographic plates successively in position for delivery to the focal plane of the lens, means controlled by said magazine-moving means whereby the plate is delivered to the focal plane of the lens, means for discharging the photographic plates after exposure, and means for developing the plate.

3. In an automatic photo-machine, the combination with a lens, of a movable photographic-plate magazine, means for progressively moving said photographic-plate magazine and arresting it at intervals to bring the photographic plates successively in position for delivery to the focal plane of the lens, means controlled by said magazine-moving means whereby the plate is delivered to the focal plane of the lens, automatic means for releasing said retaining means, and means for developing the plates after release from said retaining means.

4:. In an automatic photo-machine, the combination with a motor, of means for energizing said motor, a lens, a movable plate-magazine, said energizing means operating other means whereby the plate-magazine is progressively moved to bring a plate to the focal plane of the lens, means for exposing and finishing the said plate, and means operated by the user for controlling the motor.

5. In an automatic photo-machine, the combination with a motor, of means for energizing the motor, a rotary plate-magazine, alens, means for progressively moving the magazine so as to bring the plate to the focal plane of the lens, automatically-released means controlled by the motor for holding the plate during exposure, means for developing the plate after exposure, and means for controlling the motor.

6. In an automatic photo-machine, the combination with a movable plate-magazine, of a chute in communication with said magazine,

a lens having its focal plane in line with the chute, means for holding a plate during exposure, means for automatically releasing said holding means so that the plate will be discharged from the chute, means for developing the plate after exposure, and means for turning said magazine so that another plate will be delivered for subsequent exposure.

7. In an automatic photo-machine, the combination with a motor, of means for energizing said motor, a plate-magazine, a lens, means operated by said energizing means for progressively moving said magazine, means operated by said motor for holding a plate during exposure, said means automatically releasing said plate at a predetermined time, means for automatically developing said plate after being released by said automatic releasing means, and means for controlling the motor.

8. In an automatic photo-machine, the combination with a lens and a shutter therefor, of a chute for the plate, a photographie-plate holder comprising a stationary plate having a delivery-opening, a movable photographicplate magazine carried on said plate-holder and adapted to carry a plurality of photographic plates, and arranged to successively bring said plates to the opening aforesaid and positioned to at other times coact with the stationary plate aforesaid to cover the photographic plates, means for automatically operating said shutter, means for automatically discharging the plate after exposure, developing vessels, and means for automatically conveying the photographic plates aft-er exposure through said vessels.

9. In an automatic photo-machine, the combination with a lens, of a plate-holder, means for discharging plates from the plate-holder after exposure, a developing vessel, and a nontiltable reciprocatory photographic-plate conveyer depending into said developing vessel and adapted for causing the plate to gravitate therefrom when said conveyer is lifted from the developing vessel.

10. In an automatic photo-machine, the combination with a lens, of a plate-holder, means for discharging plates from the plateholder after exposure, a developing vessel, and a non-tiltable reci 'irocatory photographicplate conveyer depending into said developing vessel and having an inclined bottom to cause the plate to gravitate from the conveyor when the said conveyer is lifted from the developing vessel.

11. In an automatic photomachine, the combination with a lens, of a plate-holder, means for discharging plates from the plateholder after exposure, a plurality of developing vessels, a separate non-tiltable reciprocatory conveyer adapted to be introduced into and removed from each vessel, said conveyors each having an inclined bottom to cause the plate to gravitate from one conveyer to the conveyer of a succeeding developing vessel when the given conveyer is lifted from the developing vessel, and means for raising the conveyors successively to cause the plate to pass successively from one conveyer to another by gravitation after submersion in the developing fluid.

AARON JOHN SPRINGER.

Ilitnesses:

JOHN H. Ilnxnnr, M. B. S'rnvlmsox. 

